The Big Fight
by CathyLee
Summary: Clark and Pete gets into a huge argument over basketball cards.


My ten year old son inspired me to write this story. He ignites my heart every morning and it is because of him that I live happily today. I love you kiddo.

_**Spoilers:** None_

_**Summary:** Clark and Pete gets into a fight over basketball cards._

* * *

"Give it back Clark!" Pete demanded wiping sweat from his brow.

"I told you that I didn't take it," Clark yelled back in Pete's face.

Pete had just accused Clark of taking his Michael Jordan rookie card. The boys had been sorting through their basketball cards all afternoon in Clark's bedroom until Martha Kent summoned them to dinner. Now they were gathering up their individual cards and placing them meticulously back into their old shoe-boxes.

"I have my own Jordan card that my dad purchased for me….that's why I don't need your card," Clark said getting up from the floor to sit on his bed. Pete shook his head and slammed the top down on his shoe-box.

"So my card just disappeared into thin air just as your hands touched it," Pete yelled sarcastically pointing a finger at Clark. "You're some real David Copperfield aren't you Clark?"

Clark raised his eyebrows in disbelief at Pete's accusation. He and Pete always had their spats but Pete had never accused him of something like...stealing. Clark wasn't going to tolerate being called a thief in his own bedroom even if Pete was his best bud. "You know what Pete.." Clark began as he rose off the bed and stood peering down at Pete "If you really think I would steal from you and lie about it, you can leave my house right now!"

Pete frowned as he snatched his box off the floor and stood up. He and Clark were now standing eye-to-eye and if looks could kill, Clark would be sprawled out on the floor being devoured by vultures. "And I thought you were my friend," Pete muttered with hurt apparent in his voice.

"I am...,umm, I mean I was," Clark said clutching his box tightly. Clark stepped backwards and flopped down on his bed and all the while keeping his gaze on Pete.

Pete squinted his eyes in anger and tucked his box under his arm. He then turned to leave Clark's room. Just as he was about to cross the doors threshold, he warned Clark, in a near whisper, that he would get even with him.

For Pete, getting even with Clark simply meant telling Clark's mother because less than a minute after Pete left his room, Clark mother beckoned for him. "Clark, come down here now please!"

Clark slammed his fist down on his bed and growled to himself "You stinking little tattle-tell."

Clark stomped down the stairs and into the kitchen rattling the windows and pictures throughout the house. Martha was standing at the sink with one hand on her hip and a dish towel draped over her shoulder. Pete was sitting at the kitchen table with a smirk on his face.

Clark gingerly walked up to his mother like a child fearing being hit. Martha never laid a hurtful hand on Clark but she could be very stern when necessary.

"Young man, I've told you about stomping on the stairs haven't I?" Martha asked sternly.

Clark always stomped when he was angry. Just four months earlier, Jonathan banished Clark to his room for a week for pushing a boy through the wall at school. Clark responded to this punishment by stomping up the stairs and in the process, busted four steps. Jonathan gave him a good talking to about his behavior and Clark had promised to never stomp in the house again.

Clark blinked back tears as he stared into his mom's eyes. He then broke his gaze to glare at Pete and said between clinched teeth "Sorry mom."

Pete jumped up from his seat pointing a accusatory finger at Clark and yelling "Only you and me were in the room so you had to have taken it."

Clarks face was red with anger. "No I didn't take it" Clark bellowed with clinched fist. "If I wanted the card I would have simply taken it from you...no sweat, besides you are nothing but a short, whinny little wimp shrimp!"

Pete flinched at the intensity in Clark's voice.

Martha held up her hand to silence the boys all the while keeping her gaze on Clark.

"Young man, you are skating on thin ice. I want you to apologize to Pete this minute."

"For what?" Clark asked, shifting uneasily on his feet. He could sense his mother's patience wearing thin and he didn't want to be chastised in front of his friend...no ex-friend.

"For calling Pete a name," said Martha as she lifted Clark's chin so she could deliver direct eye-contact.

Clark wanted to shake his head 'no' but saw the mixture of anger and disappointed in his mother's eyes. A look he had seen only once before and luckily he wasn't at the receiving end of it.

"You better David Copperfield...," Pete said deliberately trying to make Clark more angry.

That was the last straw. Martha wasn't going to have ten year old boys blatantly disobeying her. She turned to Pete and spoke in a rather stern voice "I told you young man to shush-up and I mean it. Neither of you are too old to be put over my knee." Pete immediately shut his mouth and sat back in his seat. Clark's protest was short lived also.

"Sorry," Clark said under his breath. Martha shot him a warning glance and he immediately spoke up "Sorry for calling you a name Pete."

"Now lets get back to the matter at hand," said Martha wiping her damp bangs from her eyes, "Um, Pete said that you may have taken his Michael Jordan card by mistake?"

"Not by mistake but on purpose," Pete corrected her.

Clark opened his mouth all ready to protest but decided otherwise when he saw a frown crease his mother's brow.

"Now I want you each to look through your cards carefully to see if either of you accidentally stored it away."

Anything to stop the interrogation, Clark reluctantly nodded.

"I already looked through my cards and it's not there," Pete whined pounding his fist down on the table top.

Clark shot Pete a cry baby' glance and then redirected his full attention back to his mom.

"Go on and look now Clark," she said shooing him away.

Clark rolled his eyes heavenward and turned and stomped out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

When Clark had gone up stairs, Pete started to fidget in his seat. Martha wiped her hands on her apron and laid a reassuring hand on Pete's shoulder.

"Mrs. Kent, Clark probably doesn't want to be my friend anymore," Pete sniffled. He wiped his nose on his sleeve and looked up at Mrs. Kent with tears in his eyes.

Martha affectionately tapped Pete's nose twice and smiled down at him. "You and Clark have been friends for a long time. I'm sure a basketball card isn't going to come between your friendship. I won't let it."

Pete wanted to smile but starting sobbing instead. "Tell Clark that he can have the card because I don't want it anymore." Pete snatched his shoe-box off the table and bolted out of the kitchen door.

Martha's heart sank. She hated to see the boys fight especially over something as frivolous as a basketball card. It was simply absurd.

* * *

**20 Minutes Later **

Martha slowly opened the door to Clark's room and saw him laying face down across his bed...crying. "Clark," Martha called softly. Clark barely moved except for a slight turn of his head so he could wipe his nose on his bed spread. She noticed and smiled inwardly. She took a seat at the head of his bed and softly rubbed the nap of his neck. Her own remedy for little boys with broken hearts..it works magic.

"Pete said you can have the card if you find it," she softly spoke trying to comfort Clark.

Clark rolled over onto his side to look at his mom. His face was red and streaked with tears. "I don't have your frickin' card," he sniffled.

Martha wanted to tell him to watch his language but instead she reached over to wipe away a tear rolling down his face "I am willing to bet two slices of apple pie that you fellows overlooked the MJ card while putting the cards away. Did you look under your bed or the rug?"

"No," Clark's voice cracked. He wiped his nose on his sleeve and exhaled a shuttering breath.

He rolled off his bed and pulled back the sky blue dust ruffles on his bed. " Nope..not there." He then lifted the rug, "not there either," he whined this time. He climbed back to his feet and sat on the bed. " Is he still down stairs?"

Martha shifted and leaned against the headboard and said "No, he ran home crying. He thinks you are really angry with him Clark."

"I was at first but not so much anymore," said Clark now feeling rather remorseful about calling Pete all those mean names. His face was now burning with guilt. He felt like crying all over again.

Martha gave Clark's shoulder a tender squeeze and then lifted him into her arms. Boy he has grown' she thought as she maneuvered him around to adjusted most of his weight on her right leg. She gave him three quick butterfly kisses on his ear. Clark squirmed and smiled. Martha smiled too. Clark looked up at his mom with his huge blue eyes and said in the most innocent and loving voice "I love you mom." Martha's heart fluttered and her breath caught. She hugged Clark taking in his many scents so she could store them away in her memory forever. She sure loved her little boy with every ounce of her being and she wished she could hold him and protect him for eternity. But just as the thought popped into her head, Clark squirmed and in a muffled voice asked "Mom, can I go to Pete's house to play?"


End file.
